(Photo credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images)

Hirving Lozano scored a stunning goal in the first half, Andres Dreyer added a goal and an assist, and visiting San Diego FC defeated Sporting Kansas City 2-0 on Saturday night.

San Diego (15-7-4, 49 points), which entered the evening a point ahead of the Vancouver Whitecaps for first place in the Western Conference, is now unbeaten in its past three MLS matches (2-0-1). It also pulled two wins shy of tying the record for most victories by an MLS expansion team (17), set by St. Louis City FC in 2023.

Kansas City (6-13-6, 24 points) has now lost back-to-back matches and is winless in its last four (0-3-1). It began the day six points back of the ninth and final playoff spot in the West.

San Diego delivered the opening goal of the match in the 23rd minute following a Sporting KC giveaway. Andres Dreyer dispossessed Zoran Bassong and passed it back to Lozano, who unleashed a strike from well beyond the box that beat SKC goalkeeper John Pulskamp to make it 1-0.

The goal was Lozano's eighth of the season. Dreyer, the league leader in assists, picked up his 17th of the year.

Dreyer added a goal of his own, his 12th of the season, in the 70th minute. A ball off the foot of Luca de la Torre took a deflection and fell into the path of Dreyer, who finished past Pulskamp to make it 2-0.

Kansas City looked for a lifeline late in the 2nd half, but CJ dos Santos (six saves) kept the hosts off the scoresheet for his ninth clean sheet of the season. Pulskamp made three saves in the loss.

San Diego improved to 8-4-0 on the road with the win, tying FC Cincinnati for the most road victories this season.

Alan Montes, acquired by SKC on loan from Liga MX's Club Necaxa on Aug. 1, made his MLS debut in the 86th minute as he came on for Khiry Shelton.

--Field Level Media